A BRIEF HISTORY OF ADMIRAL'S COURT
PART 3: The Kelly Years
Admiral's Court
Moving
forward from the shenanigans of the late 1980 and early 1990’s and Frank
(Frederic Wichers) Fairclough we pick up
the story with the purchase of the property by the Developer and builder
J.G.Kelly Homes Limited on 8th October 1991. This concern was
spawned from what was originally a small but respectable Building Contractor
known as simply J.G. Kelly Limited incorporated back in 1946, that had been
‘acquired’ by the family of Harold William Jackson following their sudden
arrival on the Isle of Man from their roots in the Birmingham area around
1981-1986. Being the Isle of Man, it was the subject of some gossip as to the
Jackson family’s sudden arrival in their midst. The ‘founding’ name J G Kelly
Limited quickly became absorbed into the Jackson family in various guises such
as The Trustees of the Jackson Family Trust, Jackson Holdings Limited and so to
JG Kelly Homes Limited in 1989.
The
Building design was based on a style replicating the areas origins as ‘Seaside
Hotels’ of an earlier era was by Anthony Lloyd Davis, of Cornerstone Architects
of Ramsey. The plan at that time was for 36 Apartments over six floors but they
were later amended to 33 Apartments by changing the six top floor apartments
into three so called “Penthouses.” Technically they are not Penthouses in the
Architectural sense as they lack the spacious outside open areas that true
Penthouses have when the footprint of the actual residential accommodation on
the ‘roof’ is much less than the area of
the supporting building below. Just because a flat is on the top floor does not
make it a Penthouse. It is simply ‘a flat on the top floor!’ But hey? That’s what the housing market
people do when their Hyperbole gets in the way of truth.
Construction was commenced in 1992 and the initial marketing was undertaken by local Estate Agents “Chrystals”. Interest was strong, the market buoyant and many of the Apartments were bought straight “off plan”. So strong were sales looking, that the plan to simply build one Phase at a time was scrapped and the decision was made to construct all three planned Phases simultaneously. This haste was later to create problems when, with several signed contracts for sales and parking spaces that could not be easily amended, the development simply ran out of further space into which it could expand. This issue was further exacerbated by the original plans, for three garages and enough double spaces for the 33 flats, having come under further space pressure following the purchase of neighbouring land, from the Liquidators of the failed Highview Properties Ltd. The already ambitious scheme was now enlarged to include a further 24 flats with the garage block also increased in size to six garages by extending the block southwards and northwards.
It
was always the intention of the Lessor and Lessees that the management of the
building would eventually be undertaken by way of an independent Management
Company as stated in the Lease and the appropriate Limited company had already
been incorporated as “Admiral’s Court Management Limited” in April 1992.
Now,
with 24 extra flats needing extra car parking spaces and three more garages,
something had to give and it did.
Admiral’s
Court Management Company was restricted, both by its Articles of Association
AND the Leases already sold, to issue only 360 Ordinary shares (10 per
apartment) so there was no easy way the management of the 24 new flats could be
undertaken by them. Therefore a
completely new Management Company named ‘Cleggan Limited’ had to be created and
this was incorporated on 16th December 1993 with a Capital base of
240 Ordinary Shares to ‘self manage’ the additional 24 flats. The whole car park space then had to be
re-jigged in order to squeeze in the extra car parking spaces needed by all 60
Lessees including the spaces already sold and contracted for. The end result is
a mish mash of spaces spread over the whole area managed by both
companies with many spaces being situated on land not leased by the same
company that manages the flat ‘owned’ by the Lessee. The situation was so bad
that an inter-company ‘Agreement’ Deed
had to be drawn up to share the management of the whole area. This was executed
on 14th June 1994 by both Companies but not, by the Lessor who had caused the problem in
the first place. One can only speculate the reason for this.
 |
| Original Car Park Layout |
 |
| Amended Car Park Layout |
This
agreement covered only the car parking spaces and NOT it must be noted the
garage block which still rested with Admiral’s Court Management Limited despite
the northern end of the garage block extending into ‘Cleggan land’. Towards the
southern end of the block the building also covered the Foul Sewer as it passed
underneath to join the Main Sewer under the Public road. In order to avoid the
risks associated with a private garage lying above a sewer and inspection
manhole, a small area was left between
garages number 51 & 52 and arranged into what became known as the ‘Cycle
Shed’. In order to prevent any possibility for the Lessor to retain use of this
section of the garage block it was formally leased to Admiral’s Court
Management Limited in 1997.
The
development history of the Garage block can be traced by the numbers allocated
to the Garage units. From the south they run 51, “Cycle shed” space, 52 and 53
and then 39/40 double, 41 single with the northern end as 42/66, another
double. This indicates that the original three units were intended to be a
double 39/40 and two singles 41 & 42 but the later plans were amended to
add three more at the south end which became 51, 52 and 53 and number 42 was
re-orientated with the door now facing north and not opening onto the public
road as the other five do. It was then expanded in a northerly direction with
the extension, for some reason bearing the number 66, added to the existing #42
and numbered 42/66. That part of ‘66’
actually lay over the border with Cleggan Limited seems not to have been of any
concern to either the Lessor or Lessee or perhaps had just been overlooked due
to the careless inattention of an acting Advocate. Who knows??
As
sales progressed the Lessor had retained control of the Management Company, as
permitted in Clause 2 of the Leases sold, by not allotting the requisite shares
to each Lessee until such time as the development was completed. In the interim
the Lessees paid a nominal sum per annum (R.P.I index linked) by way of
management charges to the developer/Lessor.
In
the Spring of 1995 it became apparent that the final sales would take place
later that year and control of the Management Company could be passed on to the
Lessees as foreseen. Therefore the Lessor commenced the process of passing
control of Admiral’s Court Management Limited to the Lessees by allotting them
their shares in the Management Company on 12th May 1995. The process was
complete following the sale of the last two double apartments and in May 1996
Admiral’s Court Management Limited became an independent entity charged with
the duty to manage the estate on behalf of its residents.
J G
Kelly Homes Limited remained as Ground Landlord-Lessor and both parties enjoyed
a good working relationship whilst various shortcomings, defects and snags were
dealt with either under the NHBC guarantee or by negotiation. Negotiations were
also commenced for the Lessees to also acquire the full independence that would
follow the purchase of the Freehold Interest. These went well at first but
sadly were stalled by the sad and very premature death of the Chairman of JG
Kelly's ;- James Henry (Jamie) Jackson.
The
Lessor/Builders seemed to founder financially thereafter and in 2009, suddenly
and without warning, disposed of their Freehold Interests to Freehold Managers
(Nominees) Limited (a London based English Registered entity with no known
connection with the Isle of Man). This sale took place on 27th
August 2009 at a price of £153,100.48p. Just as well they included those 48
pence. It must have helped enormously to swing the deal their way.
Strangely when Admiral’s Court Management Limited protested to the Directors of J G Kelly Homes Limited, John Wilson and Mary J Sims, as to why they had not offered the Freehold to us, who stood ready willing and able to reach an agreement both parties denied having any knowledge of the negotiations, or the register of our interest and agreements that had been ongoing for at least five years. This despite having numerous letters to/from them company on file. Hard to believe when Mrs Sims was Company Secretary throughout that companies 20 year existence as well as sister of Jamie.
And thus ends this chapter in
our History. I wonder how Freehold Managers will treat us?
